


Telling Romeo

by Ambrose



Category: Romeo And Juliet - All Media Types, Romeo And Juliet - Shakespeare
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-17
Updated: 2015-10-17
Packaged: 2018-04-26 19:31:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5017531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ambrose/pseuds/Ambrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It isn't always easy telling your friends who you're dating. Especially when you have a history of hating the guy so much you almost killed each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Telling Romeo

**Author's Note:**

> old thing I wrote on tumblr for the prompt:“ok, so… you remember that guy who almost stabbed me to death a few years ago? Well… He and I are dating now.” by anon.
> 
> As always, I suck at finding inspired titles, sorry about that!

Mercutio would have to tell his friends eventually, he knew it. And because that was better than traumatizing Romeo if he walked in on them, the sooner the better, he figured.

Especially since they’d had a lot of arguments before, and beating around the bush and generally pretending not to care – he didn’t want to give off the impression that he was ashamed: he didn’t want Tybalt to think he wasn’t serious about it now, and he played the fool often enough that he didn’t know how he managed to trust him.

Which is how he found himself in front of his best friend, dry-mouthed and not quite sure what to say. Of all the dialogues he’d rehearsed in his head, none seemed so promising anymore. So when Romeo asked him what the hell was wrong with him, he blurted out, “ok, so… you remember that guy who almost stabbed me to death a few years ago? Well… He and I are dating now.”

“What? You’re not seriously telling me you’re dating that Capulet asshole!”

It took Mercutio all his self-restraint not to comment on that choice of words, though he did not exactly know whether he wanted to joke, or felt offended for Tybalt.

“Isn’t it what I just said?” he smiled instead.

“You’re joking. You gotta be joking.”

“Not this time, no.”

“Oh, I know,” Romeo said, who actually knew nothing at all, “you and Benvolio made a bet. You’re trying to see if I’ll buy this? Nice try! How much money are you losing on this one?”

Mercutio sighed. “I didn’t bet anything, it’s… Look…”

“He tried to kill you!” Romeo explained, like he was a kid. “How do you expect me to believe that? Or do you have a death wish?”

“Well, he almost killed me because you got between us,” Mercutio snapped, “and you don’t see  _me_  holding it against you!”

Romeo blanched. “I wanted to help. He was trying to knife you!”

“Oh, come on, don’t be so dramatic!”

“”What do you want me to say then?”

“'congratulations, Mercutio, I hope you’re happy!’ would be a nice start.” Mercutio tried to take on himself not to get angrier. He knew it wouldn’t be so simple, but he’d hoped his friend would be… more understanding. He wasn’t the first one to date a Capulet, after all, and they’d all given Juliet the benefit of the doubt.

Romeo grumbled. “As long as I don’t have to invite him.”

“We bear with your girlfriends,” Benvolio piped in from the other room.

“Oh, come on, you’re in on it too? Don’t tell me you approve of this?”

“That’s not the question.” Benvolio came to sit next to his cousin. “Mercutio must know what’s good for him. And give the guy a break, it’s not his fault if his uncle tried to brainwash him into hating us!”

“Fine, fine.” Romeo turned to Mercutio again. “But if he hurts you, I’ll stab him!”

“I think I can handle that myself, thank you,” Mercutio grinned.

“Ew, I don’t need to know the specifics!”

Like they didn’t listen to  _him_  when he was talking about his new girlfriend… But Mercutio didn’t really want to  _tell_  him the specifics, anyway.

“So… I can invite him over for dinner? Or I tell you  _all_ the specifics!”


End file.
